Hermione's Choice
by Skysong
Summary: Hermione chose Ron, but now things are not as they seem. When her parents die mysteriously, she makes a second, more important choice. Sucky summary, I promise the story is better! Please R&R. One shot


A/N: Just a one shot, my only 'real' HP flick. Warning for much sadness and slight fluffiness. Please R&R.

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns everything.

**Hermione's Choice**

The sun shone bright as Hermione Granger, Head Girl at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, walked along the edges of the lake, watching the sky as clouds rolled closer. She liked coming out here early in the morning, to watch the sunrise (or clouds gathering) and to walk away the cares of the day before. To forget about the near approaching future and the choices she would have to make. Lately, she had come more often, and today she was here to get away.

The events of the night before came crashing into her consciousness and she fought the urge to scream at the world. The evening before she had been calmly sitting in the Head Girls' office, when an owl arrived, bringing with it the information that her parents had been killed. They died suspicious deaths, read the newspaper report. They thought her parents had been killed by Voldemort, but Hermione knew otherwise.

She had been devastated, she knew how much it would affect her, and run into the office across the hallway, where a slightly irritated Ron (Head Boy now) had turned from his pacing to see his normally cheerful girlfriend with a tear streaked face. He had held her for the longest time, knowing instinctively what was wrong. But Harry had always been better at comforting her, and stupidly she told Ron so, resulting in one of the biggest arguments that had occurred since they met.

Hermione blindly wiped away the tears that were now coursing down her cheeks and slumped against a tree, watching as the rain began to fall.

_Meanwhile, in the _ _Gryffindor_ _Tower_

"What do you mean, you're not talking to her?" Harry calmly asked.

Ron angrily stood his ground. "She said you were a better comforter and that she wished that I was you."

"She's mourning, you great git!" Harry, despite his calm exterior, was beginning to lose his patience.

Ron had arrived pale faced in the Tower about 10mins beforehand, waking Harry up to help him deal with this new problem he was facing.

"She loves you better! She always has!" Ron retorted, slowly turning red at revealing his true thoughts.

"No! She loves _you_, and she's suffering! Why aren't you out there with her? Hermione's parents DIED for Pete's sake!"

Ron turned to face Harry, his face now going a mottled purple. "You always take her side! Why can't you see that she's done wrong by _me_! If only . . . . ."

"No, mate, no 'if onlys'." Harry lost his temper. "If you aren't going to go out there, then I am!"

Harry stalked out of the tower, muttering under his breath. "You'd think, being Head Boy and Girl, they'd have learned how to get along by now. But no, there always has to be one more thing."

Ron, now resigned to the fact that he was going to lose his girlfriend (but not really caring because she was causing him so much grief), watched Harry leave the tower and the castle, and walk to Hermione, sitting by the lake.

_Back by the lake:_

The rain began to ease up. Hermione jumped as she heard someone behind her, and turned to face the intruder.

"It's about time you got here Ronald! Come to apolo . . . . Oh. It's you, Harry."

She sat down as Harry walked up beside her and sat. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. She turned to embrace him and buried her face in his chest, sobbing loudly. They sat like this for what felt like an age, until Hermione's tears began to subside.

"It's alright, Hermione, it's going to be alright, I promise," he whispered into her ear.

"H-H-How do you know, H-H-Harry?" Hermione hiccoughed.

"I just do, Hermione. Trust me, I promise it will be ok."

"My parents, Harry, they're . . . . . they're . . . . . dead." A new wave of tears accompanied her vocal expression of the truth.

"Shhh, Hermione, shhhhh. They wouldn't have wanted to you to be miserable, they would have wanted the first witch in their family, one of the greatest witches Hogwarts has seen in years, to succeed, and go on to make a name for herself." He paused. "Dumbledore would have wanted it to."

Harry heard Hermione sharply intake her breath and mentally stabbed himself for his slip.

"I mean . . . ."

"It's all right, Harry, I know. Harry, I want to tell you something . . . ."

_Back in the Tower:_

Ron stood motionless at the window as he watched Harry walk up beside Hermione and put his arms around her. A huge wave of jealousy rose in him, and he began to see red. He turned smashed his fist into the wall, yelling out in pain as his knuckles collided with the stone.

Ron cursed, and in that split second, made the decision that he was going to profess his love for Hermione and hopefully gain back some of the happiness that had been his for the short period of time they had dated. He turned and quickly ran the way Harry had come, towards the girl who he loved, and the best friend who, to his eyes, was stealing her from him.

_Back by the lake:_

Hermione paused as she heard yet another noise behind her. Harry turned to see Ron standing behind them and jumped to his feet, narrowly missing the blow that Ron aimed at him.

"Jerk!" Ron yelled. "Come down here, to 'talk to your best friend' and end up taking advantage of her! She doesn't want you, she's just lost her parents!"

He began to move towards Hermione to hug her, but she skipped out of his reach.

"Ron, what are you doing?" Harry questioned.

"Taking her away from you! Come on, Hermione, let's go."

Harry jumped in his way, getting a scrape on his arm for his efforts. "Leave her alone, Ron. She's upset, she doesn't need us arguing as well."

Ron landed a well aimed punch at Harry's stomach, winding him and forcing him to his knees. In the time Harry was down, Ron grabbed Hermione and knelt next to her.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm so sorry. I love you."

A single tear ran down Hermione's already tear streaked face, and she ran her hand down his face, smiling as she encountered the stubble she had attacked the night before. Harry stumbled to his feet, and slowly walked over to them.

"Are you alright, Hermione?"

She nodded weakly. "I need to tell you something."

Harry sat next to the two of them and waited patiently while Hermione told them the truth, of why her parents really died and of her future. She told them of the disease, of how not one Dr in the Muggle world nor one Healer at St Mungo's could cure it, and of how she had two choices. Ron's face slowly lost its reddish tinge and began to pale as he realised the sad truth of her story.

"Hermione, choose life," he urged when she finished. "Choose me and Harry." Harry nodded.

Hermione softly smiled and shook her head. Another tear dripped down her face. "I'm so sorry, Ron, Harry, for all the pain I've caused you." More tears. "I'm so sorry."

They held her tight, against the chance that she might leave them at that very moment.

It was too late, though. Hermione had made her choice, and she left them with their love fresh in her mind, and hers fresh in theirs. And as she left, the sky cleared and the sun burst back into the world, a reminder of the warmth Hermione left behind.


End file.
